


Project Name: Failsafe

by SerenStone



Series: Destiny 2 Prompts [11]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Failsafe Needs a Hug, Multi, Original Ghosts, Original Guardians - Freeform, Rasputin Needs a Hug, We Stan AI in this House
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:40:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21995374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerenStone/pseuds/SerenStone
Summary: Prompt: My Personal Adoration of FailsafeStatus: Ongoing
Relationships: Ghost/Guardian (Destiny)
Series: Destiny 2 Prompts [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1583290
Comments: 11
Kudos: 20





	1. Expansion

Shry sat at “her” table in the Tower, watching Louis’ comings and goings while Isaac reviewed the updates to the various Tower logs he found of interest. One of the waitstaff appeared with a pot of tea and a bowl of soup and she passed over a handful of glimmer with her thanks. She had just poured a cup of tea when a shadow by the stairs rippled and congealed into Silla. 

“Hey,” she said, shifting from foot to foot.

“Come on, then,” Shry called, to save herself from Silla’s hesitation. “How many times do I have to tell you it’s fine?”

“Well, but this is different,” Silla muttered, dropping herself inelegantly into a chair. 

Shry waved at Bee who bobbed happily in response before turning back to Silla. “What makes this different?”

“I think I know something I’m not supposed to,” Silla admitted.

Shry smirked. “Best things to know, generally.”

“Well, I think it’s your secret?” Silla’s voice was quieter now, not that anyone was close enough to hear them. 

“Which?” she arched an eyebrow.

“Your project for Failsafe.”

“Not really a secret so much as something I don’t talk about much,” Shry explained. 

“Is there any way I can help?”

Blinking, Shry put down her spoon. “That’s… kind of you. Did you have something in mind?”

“Kind of,” Silla was back to her hesitance. “But I’m not sure you’ll like it.”

“Try me.”

“Are you giving her a crew? Failsafe adores you, no doubt about it but she has other people she calls crewmembers.” 

“We’ve talked about it,” Shry leaned back in her chair. “Nothing’s decided yet. We’re still in the preliminary resource gathering and planning phases. My primary concern with adding people to the… crew, as you called it, is that I tend to work alone.”

Silla nodded earnestly. “I know, but adding crew doesn’t have to change that. You could still do things your way and not leave her by herself when you’re on mission.”

“You’re thinking bigger than I have so far,” Shry admitted, returning to her soup. “Possibly because I started out by thinking about materials.”

“A great many materials can be scavenged from the Black itself if she approves of it,” Silla pointed out. “Plus, I think… a larger scale is worth considering.”

“Why?” Shry asked the question blandly, as if it wasn’t the only question she’d wanted to ask from the start of the conversation.

Silla paused to consider her words. “The Last City is… quite the accomplishment, given its history,” she said slowly. “But it’s… I think it’s becoming a trap. Not that we shouldn’t protect the Traveler; we absolutely should. But I think it’s… become a very complicated task given the local population. And,” she frowned, wiping some of the innocence from her face. “I think the Vanguard is… not the best way to do this whole Lightbearer thing?” She was clearly unsure if this was something she should say or not.

Shry kept her expression clear until the last comment, when she smiled. “You’re not the only one who thinks that way,” she said, and watched Silla relax some. “The Vanguard has its place, but perhaps its place should be focused on the protection of the Traveler rather than synonymous with the interests of the Last City. There have been Orders within the Vanguard in the past; perhaps we could instate orders for protecting the Traveler, another to protect the Last City, one for dealing in information, one for dealing in strikes, and probably more.”

“That… might work,” Silla mused. “What do you think?”

“I think the Vanguard is made up of people who are just as flawed as the rest of us. Maybe those flaws are the kind of flaws that ought to prohibit people from leadership positions, maybe they’re not,” Shry was careful to avoid saying what she really thought while in the Tower. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking Failsafe could serve as a mobile base of operations for a select group of Guardians. Most (if not all) capable of solo work, but with flexible fireteams among them training together for different kinds of scenarios. You could have an entire response team set up to deploy for a situation like the moon on a moment’s notice without-” she sighed.

Shry let some of her surprise show on her face. “When did you pick her up, Bee?”

“Twenty-five days ago,” Bee announced proudly as she flew a small loop. 

Smiling indulgently, Shry returned her attention to Silla. “You’re quick.”

“If I’m not prepared to hunt myself, I’m not prepared to hunt at all,” Silla shrugged.

Shry broke into a full smile. “Why don’t you meet me in the Hangar in two hours, bay D-22. I’d like to show you some of what I have so far.”

Silla blinked a few times as if unsure she’d heard that correctly before beaming. “I’d love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think you recognize Docking Bay D-22, you are correct.


	2. Updates

The next time Shry and Katya-7 met up, it was in the ruins of an old farm just outside of the EDZ. They settled in and brought each other up to date on their projects and the comings and goings of the system. Eventually Katya leaned back in her chair and leveled Shry with her best unimpressed expression - which was really quite an impressive expression on the Exo.

“What’s bothering you?”

“It’s not bothering me,” Shry protesting, grinning.

“What are you antsing to say, then?”

“That new Hunter you two told me to meet?”

“Silla!” Astrophel exclaimed. “What do you think?”

“She’s been around maybe a month and she’s already got the philosophy of being a Hunter, a solid analysis of the Vanguard, City politics, and a possible solution locked down.”

“A solution?” Katya asked while Astrophel crowed his delight.

“She wants me to expand the Failsafe project,” Shry explained.

“How so?”

“Let the ship be an ops center for a select group of Guardians who are able to respond as individuals or fireteams. And none of it beholden to the Vanguard.”

Katya always went still when she stopped to think. Astrophel on the other hand darted in jerky circles around their table. “It could work,” he said eventually. “But that’s a much grander project than originally intended.”

“And it would force some very interesting choices,” Katya added. When Shry motioned for her to go on, she continued, “I know I’m on two of your short lists; which would you prioritize? The Trust list or the More Useful Vanguard list?”

“Trust,” Shry said immediately. “I’d rather have you with me.”

“If I were Vanguard-”

“You’d be honorbound to the City.”

Katya sighed, not disagreeing. “Then you’d be leaving Viktor-4 in play as possible Titan Vanguard. I’d prefer not to have him as an enemy.”

“Agreed. But with a differently curated Vanguard-City connection, I would be willing to strike more lenient agreements with the Vanguard.”

“Have we given any thought to discussing the need for a “differently curated Vanguard-City connection” with the Vanguard? I’m confident Ikora would listen.”

“She would listen, but she’s very concerned with presenting a united front what with the Speaker gone and no Hunter Vanguard in play.”

“So we move our pick of Hunter into place?” Astrophel asked.

“Silla’s too young and untested,” Shry shrugged while Astrophel preened that she was so pleased with his new friend. “And no one would listen to me if I suggested Ana; honestly I don’t think she’d accept even if she’d be amazing.”

“Compromised loyalties,” Katya noted. Shry shrugged. “Hunters have a bad track record for survival.”

“I’m of the opinion that they should always have back up, even on stealth ops, but everyone goes on about personality conflicts.”

Katya huffed. “So there’s no option for a Hunter Vanguard at this time.”

“Not unless we could convince people to accept Eris, which… I don’t think will happen.”

“So we restructure.”

“Needs to happen,” Shry agreed.

“Especially without the Speaker, City politics are already in flux. Why not shake it up further?”

“Why not?” Shry grinned for a moment before it slid off. “Not going to happen.”

“No,” Katya shook her head. “Silla’s idea is a good one. Do you want to leave anyone behind for the Vanguard?”

“I want to be able to trust that the walls will hold,” Shry sighed. “But no, I don’t feel particularly generous toward the Vanguard without-”

A moment of silence passed out of respect.

“So we leave them nothing,” Katya said, as if it were that simple. “Take Viktor-4, Vynn, Silla, maybe that other hunter." ("Aura," Astrophel noted.) "What do you need for a ship that scale?”

This was the reason Shry trusted Katya: she saw her options clearly and wasted little time grieving impossibilities. It helped keep Shry grounded. “A whole lot of glimmer for a start,” she laughed. They fell to discussing most efficient methods for glimmer earning and saving and something in Shry relaxed. Katya’s support and approval was one of her only checks and balances. She was going to see this done.


	3. Crew

“Captain, you-” Failsafe’s voice flanged. “You want to give me a crew again?”

“I do. You have full veto power on this idea just like any other.”

“That won’t be necessary in this instance,” the AI said quickly.

“You have full veto power over each crew member,” Shry said, smiling.

Failsafe was quiet for a few beats. “Thank you, Captain.”

“You’re welcome. The new Hunter? Silla? She suggested this course of action. I’m planning on including her.”

“Yes,” Failsafe said immediately.

“This will put project completion out by a scale of decades,” Isaac pointed out.

“And we need to discuss what additions you are and aren’t okay with having on the plan in terms of supporting a crew of any size.”

“I am prepared to consider your proposals!” she exclaimed, audibly excited. They went through the list they had developed and Failsafe added several points to their considerations. 

“What do you think of recycling?” Isaac asked eventually, with what Shry thought to be surprising diplomacy.

“You mean my ship,” Failsafe realized.

“I do,” he agreed.

Failsafe considered for longer than she usually did. “I want to bring some of it with me,” she said in her second voice.

“We could retrieve what we can of your crew and include them as well,” Shry said as the thought occurred to her.

“Yes!”

“We’ll go get them now,” Shry rose. “Bring them here?”

“Yes, please.” Failsafe hesitated. “Captain, Friendly Ghost, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” they said together.


	4. Conference Call

“Fallen propulsion systems are surprisingly durable,” Astrophel noted as he skimmed through the data Shry and Isaac had collected after two years of acquiring different kinds of jumpships.

“Simulations indicate they grow increasingly inefficient at larger scales,” Failsafe countered.

“Have we considered the Almighty?” Katya asked. She and Astrophel were in orbit over Titan.

Shry paused and looked at Isaac. “No, no we haven’t.”

“We should consider both the Almighty and the Leviathan,” Isaac decided, turning to what had become his console in Failsafe’s core.

“What giant, non-Cabal ships do we have the ability to analyze?” 

“Oryx’s Dreadnaught and Hive warships around Saturn,” Katya immediately answered. “There’s that ruined ketch in the Reef.”

“Vex warp gates?” Astrophel suggested.

“Have you thought about jumpships sized for Fireteams?” Ana asked through the comm uplink. 

“Items added to project list,” Failsafe declared, already accustomed to non-sequiturs. 

“Another question,” Silla’s voice came over the sound of gunfire. She was in the EDZ eliminating a Cabal raiding team. “Have we considered how to protect Failsafe from Rasputin? I know we like him and all, but I’d rather be safe.”

“Thanks,” Failsafe’s second voice said.

“I’d have to take a look at Failsafe’s code,” Ana admitted. “I’m not sure what I could do outside of maybe try and create a new encryption or seventy but Rasputin knows my patterns. Would you accept his word, Failsafe?”

There was a beat of silence. “Captain?” she said inside the core. “I don’t know what to say.” On Shry’s recommendation, Failsafe eventually answered, “May I take time to consider?”

“Of course,” Ana said easily. “I’ll do some research from my end, see if I can determine what his protocols are in regards to the autonomy of other AI.”

“Thanks, Ana,” Shry said.

“Sure,” Ana’s voice was already distracted.

“Anything else or are we ready to break up and reconvene in six months?”

“If I think of more questions can I send them to Failsafe?” Silla asked. “It’s hard to focus on the issue right this second.” The beginning of an explosion came through the transmission before it cut.

“Of course, Silla Bee!” Failsafe agreed immediately. Failsafe had adopted Silla and Bee wholeheartedly into her crew but seemed to consider them more one unit than she did most Guardian-Ghost pairs. Once everyone had agreed to the six month recess, Failsafe ended the connection. “What will you do now, Captain?”

“Isaac and I need to take more complete scans of the Leviathan and get back to the Almighty to do the same,” Shry said, stretching. “We’ll head for Saturn after that, and then the Reef. We’ll send scans to you as we complete them. Once we’ve gotten a better idea of their systems we should be prepared to start making design decisions. Have you chosen a shipwright?”

“I believe the Divalian Docks of the Reef are most appropriate for matching our designs. I have transferred dossiers to your console.”

Shry reviewed the data before highlighting three individuals: Diedre Moss, Taran Kor, and Paneth Vint. “Without having met them, these are the three I would have on my short list.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Failsafe chimed.

“Isaac, you ready to head out?”

“I am,” he said, disappearing from his console and reappearing at her side.

“Anything else you need from us, Failsafe?”

“Only that you return safely,” 

“I think we can manage that,” Shry grinned.


	5. Conflict Resolution

“You want to _what?”_ Failsafe’s more aggressive voice tore out of her speakers.

Isaac drifted a meter back, startled. “In order to include any part of the Exodus Black in the new ship, we need to get it to the Divalian Docks. That requires disconnecting it.”

Failsafe was silent for long enough that Shry was concerned. “I need you to talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“You want to cut me apart!” Her voice flanged and broke apart into static.

“Nope, that’s not what we want. Slow down and listen to me, please,” Shry kept her voice as calm as she could.

“Fine,” Failsafe’s voice was petulant.

“We want to do what you want. You indicated that you want parts of the Exodus Black in the new ship. If cutting them off from you isn’t acceptable, we need to sit down and talk about our options and figure out what we can do instead.”

“Captain,” Failsafe’s primary voice re-emerged. “I still feel the places where my ship should be. I- It hurts.”

 _“Oh Failsafe,”_ Shry breathed. “I’m so sorry.”

“I want to be whole again, but I don’t want to- To-”

“No,” Shry said immediately. “We’re not going to put you through more pain to do this. We’ll figure something else out.”

“But what, Captain? What could possibly work?”

“Just because we don’t have the answer to that yet doesn’t mean there isn’t one out there,” Shry said gently. “We have lots of friends and resources. Let’s see what we have before we give up, okay?” There was a long silence as answer.

“I think,” Failsafe said slowly. “I think I am afraid.”

“I am sorry,” Isaac spoke up. “I did not mean to frighten you. We will research alternatives.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

Shry and Isaac spent several hours talking through potential resources on the issue before they sent out queries to those they trusted. Then they began discussing ideas of their own, careful to stay away from options that would cause further damage to the Black or that would involve cutting off Failsafe’s access to it. By the end of the day, Failsafe was more like her usual self.

“Friendly Ghost,” she called as they prepared to leave.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry for accusing you of wanting to hurt me. You _are_ a Friendly Ghost and I should have remembered that.”

Isaac’s shell shifted several times before he replied. “I accept your apology, Failsafe. I am glad we were able to clarify the miscommunication. I shall endeavor not to make similar assumptions in the future.”

“Thank you. I will remember that you are the Friendly Ghost,” Failsafe promised.

There were several beats of silence before Shry spoke. “I’m proud of you both,” she said simply. “This bodes well for working together long term.”

“I, for one, look forward to it,” Failsafe declared.

“As do I,” Isaac decided. If Shry’s eyes were wet, none of them mentioned it.


	6. Similarities

Ardath-4 sat hunched over a datapad, reading through different schematics while toying with a fidget cube in one hand. “Failsafe?”

“Yes?”

“What do you think of frames?”

“Clarify.”

“I think we have enough stuff to build you a frame. You could take a walk, see some things.”

“We will have to be creative with the communications uplink,” she mused.

“Yeah, but Jinju showed me Rasputin’s warsat uplink module. I think we can mimic that if we take apart the transponder the Fallen left behind.”

Failsafe was silent a moment. “The theory is sound.”

“Cool, let’s give it a shot.”

Five days later he coaxed Failsafe into getting the frame on his sparrow so they could take a look around. “Come on, don’t try to tell me you haven’t got a list of everything you want to see laying around somewhere. What do you want to see first?”

“I do not leave things laying around,” she said, indignant.

“Okay, fine. Where am I taking you?”

“Can I see the rest of my ship?” she asked quietly.

“Yep,” he said immediately, steeling himself. He drove to the Glade of Echoes in silence, focused on driving carefully while still moving fast enough that the Fallen could not get a lock on them. There were enough Fallen in the Glade that he didn’t feel safe stopping anywhere. He looped around the place several times, trying to give Failsafe as many angles on the remains of the Exodus Black as he could. After several times round he turned and headed back to the Core. By the time they stopped, he had developed a to do list: improved armor for both himself and the frame, as well as weapons customized to the frame’s hands. The frame walked into the Core ahead of him as he carefully steered the sparrow back in. That done, he grabbed his datapad and began logging ideas for armor and weaponry for the frame.

“Ardath-4,” Failsafe ventured, nearly three hours later.

“Yeah?” he said around the fidget spinner he was holding in his mouth while his hands were busy repairing the damage the Fallen had done to the sparrow.

“Thank you.”

He looked up, the spinner falling to clatter on the floor. The comparisons he’d been trying to ignore - a failsafe with no crew, a Ghost with no Light - rushed back into his mind. “Anytime, Failsafe. I have some ideas for armoring the plates on the frame if you want to take a look.”

“I will.”


	7. An Offer

“Excuse me, Ms. Failsafe?” The individual identified as Nisus Blaise stood outside the entrance to her core. “May I speak with you?”

She activated one of her frames and walked it to him. “If you agree to take no aggressive or destructive actions while in the Core you may enter.”

“Your terms are more than acceptable. I shall not take any aggressive or destructive actions beyond this threshold.”

“You may enter. It is not always safe to hold discussions in the open.” She turned the frame and led the way into the Core access chamber. 

“Thank you for your hospitality and for agreeing to speak with me,” he said, folding his hands as he stood before the center console.

“What can I help you with today?”

“I will shortly be handing over thirty billion glimmer to Fireteam Squall for the purposes of constructing a ship. Based on my conversations with Mr. O Broin and my own observations, I believe the intention is for you to inhabit that ship, is that correct?”

Failsafe immediately reclassified the individual known as Nisus Blaise from “unknown factor” to “potential ally,” though she left Silla’s label of “probable threat” in place. “You are correct. That is extraordinarily generous of you. Thank you.”

The man smiled. “You are welcome, Ms. Failsafe. I do not know a great deal about Golden Age technology but I imagine there are parts and pieces that will be necessary for you to interface with a new construction that we more than likely do not know how to build at present. I have some unique resources at my disposal that allow me to fabricate materials as well as parts themselves. If you would be willing to trust me with the schematics of parts or chemical formula and structure of materials, I will begin fabrication.”

Failsafe immediately began compiling a list. “You can fabricate materials?” she queried. “Do you mean that you can effectively generate matter?”

“Yes and no. You are aware that I have access to Oryx’s Throne World?”

“Yes.”

“Within the Realm I can take raw energy and - I suppose the best word I have is compress - compress it into specific forms of matter. This is how I generated the glimmer. To be frank, I will more than likely generate much of the bits and pieces from glimmer rather than straight from energy. It’s a much simpler process.”

“The ways in which paracausal entities disregard the laws of physics are both intriguing and irritating,” she noted after a moment.

“I couldn’t agree more,” he said, rocking forward and back on his feet. 

“The Captain and I have yet to speak with a shipwright,” Failsafe admitted slowly. “I do not know everything that will be needed but there are a number of components that will be necessary no matter the finalized design. Would a list of those be acceptable?”

“Absolutely, that would be perfect. If I may ask, who is your current Captain?”

“Shry Ó Broin,” Failsafe answered, injecting her voice with pride. 

“Ah, perfect,” he said. 

“Indeed. With your permission I will transmit documentation of necessary components and materials to your Ghost.”

“Please do,” he said, nodding as a Ghost materialized at his shoulder. “I’d like to leave our communication channels with you if you’ll have them. Perhaps when you know more about the finalized design you can inform me of any unusual needs.”

“I accept. I have included my own channels in the documentation. If you would send me your ship’s registration information I will be certain never to interrupt your communications in the future.” 

“Edgar, if you would,” he said. “Thank you, Ms. Failsafe. It’s a pleasure to have the chance to work with you.”

“ _You really can’t help yourself with the charmer routine, can you_?”

“Why, Ms. Failsafe!” He draped one hand across his chest. “I don’t have the slightest idea what you mean.” He offered a broad smile to one of her sensor arrays. “Unless you have immediate questions, I’ll head back and get to work.”

“There is currently a detachment of approximately thirty Fallen outside of the Core. Please observe proper precautions when exiting the premises.”

“Ms. Failsafe, it would be my pleasure. Farewell!” He swept from the room with an appropriate flourish of robes. 

Opening a line to Ardath, she decided that she would tolerate the man’s dramatics in honor of the Cayde-6. She imagined they would have driven each other crazy. That seemed fitting to her.


End file.
